| 1 | [[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/TwistedMetal https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lighter&softer.png]]]] |
| 2 | [[caption-width-right:350:''[[DarkerAndEdgier Black]]'': Evil serial killer\ |
| 3 | ''[[SpinoffBabies Small Brawl]]'': Mischievious kid]] |
| 4 | |
| 5 | * Creator/ElectronicArts' FirstPersonShooter games are the softer version of the Platform/Xbox360 generation of shooters. ''VideoGame/{{Mercenaries}}'', ''VideoGame/ArmyOfTwo'' and ''VideoGame/BattlefieldBadCompany'' all have comparatively "lighter and fluffier" storylines and endings. No DownerEnding to create a SequelHook for instance. [[DarkerAndEdgier And then came the sequels...]] (though not so much ''Mercenaries 2'') |
| 6 | * Creator/{{Suda 51}}'s major releases tend to [[ZigZaggedTrope zig-zag between darker and lighter games]]. ''VideoGame/Killer7'', his first game released in the US, is seen as one of his darkest works, followed by the lighter ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'' and the darker sequel ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes2DesperateStruggle''. ''VideoGame/ShadowsOfTheDamned'' is harder to pin down, being a comedic horror game, but ''VideoGame/LollipopChainsaw'' is definitely lighter, followed by the darker ''VideoGame/KillerIsDead''. In regards to the ''[[VideoGame/TheSilverCase Silver Case]]'' series, the much breezier ''VideoGame/FlowerSunAndRain'' is sandwiched in-between the darker first game and even darker follow-up ''VideoGame/TheTwentyFifthWard''. |
| 7 | * ''Academy of Champions: Soccer'' is a kid-targeted soccer game for the Wii. It in itself is not a lighter and softer version of any extant franchise, but it's published by Creator/{{Ubisoft}}, and contains a special team composed of characters from other Ubisoft franchises. What does that mean? Cute and cuddly, brightly-colored FunSize versions of [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI Altair]], [[VideoGame/SplinterCell Sam Fisher]], [[VideoGame/BeyondGoodAndEvil Jade]], and [[Franchise/PrinceOfPersia the Prince]] footying along with the game's {{Kid Hero}}es. |
| 8 | * The ''[[VideoGame/AdvancedVariableGeo Advanced V.G.]]'' series is a reboot of the original [[HGame H-Games]] that came before it. The {{hentai}} content was removed in favor of introducing the series' overarching plot, in which [[BigBad Miranda]] [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Jahana]] manipulates the waitresses from behind the scenes. Emphasis was also placed on [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqAKbJ76Z4U improving its gameplay mechanics]], to make it a mainstream fighting game series. |
| 9 | * A rather bizarre example occurs with the video game adaptation of ''Film/AdventuresInDinosaurCity''. The main characters of the film are fans of a cartoon series, of which we only see the intro, before being [[TrappedInTVLand sucked into]] its DarkerAndEdgier real version. However the game bases its aesthetic more on said cartoon, thereby being lighter and softer then the film, but also truer to the (fictitious) source material. |
| 10 | * In ''VideoGame/AmericanMcGeesGrimm'' the story of Literature/LittleRedRidingHood (save for a few curse words) actually manages to be slightly tamer in that the wolf was given a quick mercy killing via ax to the stomach. All in all this is a far better fate than, say, starving to death or having your belly get filled with rocks and drowning, like in some versions. If American [=McGee=] REALLY wanted to be DarkerAndEdgier, then he should have stuck with the original ending: no friendly woodsman, and Red and Granny don't get eaten ''whole.'' {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d in the game -- in the "original story" telling of it, Grimm mentions this about older versions... but comments that he couldn't go with that for his corrupted version while he's telling it -- presumably because it'd be straying too far from the well-known story. |
| 11 | * Creator/FromSoftware developed the ''VideoGame/ArmoredCore'' series; a series of mecha games set in post-apocalyptic futures and generally being full of WarIsHell, cynical rebellions, and all the ensuing tragedy and horror, capped off by a RealIsBrown art style. Then, in 2004, the developer decided to use ''Armored Core'''s engine and gameplay to make a SpiritualSuccessor robot game. Said game, called ''VideoGame/MetalWolfChaos'', is about the President of the United States using a MiniMecha to fight off a coup d'etat by his evil Vice President (who is also in a mecha), while sprouting phrases like "EAT MY FLAME OF JUSTICE!" and "Nothing is pointless! And the reason is: Because I'm the president of the Great United States of America! YEAH!". Needless to say it falls under this. |
| 12 | * ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOrigins'' is the first game in the series to feature a [[EdutainmentGame "Discovery Tour"]] mode with all the action [=NPCs=] and violence removed, allowing the player to freely roam and learn more about Egypt guided by a narrator that makes it plays like an interactive version of a documentary show. This version can either be downloaded for free for owners of the main game, or purchased separately from the main game with a T rating, likely for classroom use. |
| 13 | * ''VideoGame/BayonettaOriginsCerezaAndTheLostDemon'' is a spinoff of a [[VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}} series]] noted for its campy, over-the-top adult content, focusing on the title character as a child. While it's not completely neutered, almost all of the sexuality is excised for obvious reasons, and the violence and foul language has been toned down as well, resulting in a T-rated game in a franchise that usually scores M ratings. |
| 14 | * ''VideoGame/BendyAndTheInkMachine'''s mobile spin-off, ''VideoGame/BendyInNightmareRun'', is much less frightening than the main game. Rather than the player character being an elderly animator who has to fight off twisted, deformed versions of former cartoons and coworkers, the player may choose between cute, ''Main/SuperDeformed'' versions of the starring cartoons and fight silly monsters. |
| 15 | * ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite'' is definitely this when compared to [[VideoGame/BioShock its predecessors]], [[DownplayedTrope though make no mistake of it still being extremely violent and philosophically weighty]]. The first two games were SurvivalHorror-inspired {{Immersive Sim}}s emphasizing isolation and claustrophobia in the decrepit UnderwaterCity of Rapture, but ''Infinite'' is more of [[ActionizedSequel an action-based swashbuckler affair]] in [[FloatingContinent the bright, floating city]] of Columbia. In addition, rather than playing as a solitary HeroicMime simply trying to survive the chaos of Rapture, the narrative of ''Infinite'' is greatly informed by its protagonists that stick together throughout most of the game, enabling for some genuinely light-hearted banter and poignant interpersonal beats. |
| 16 | * ''VideoGame/BrownDustII'': Some of the Character Packs tend to take away from the growing bleakness of the main Story Packs by being more softer in comparison, though two of them; "Exodus" and "A Tale of Sword" are exceptions to the rule for being just as dark as the main story. |
| 17 | * ''VideoGame/{{Bully}}'' was this compared to [[Creator/TakeTwoInteractive Rockstar]]'s other high-profile releases before it, ''VideoGame/{{Manhunt}}'' and the ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' series. A T rated game with no blood, no guns, and no killing. However, the original concept for the game was much more graphic before it was toned down. |
| 18 | * ''VisualNovel/ChaosHead'' is a suspense/mystery story that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality. ''Chaos;Head Love Chu Chu'' is an UnwantedHarem romantic comedy. For one entry, at least, the series fully embraces that aspect of itself. 5pb. repeated the process with ''VisualNovel/SteinsGate Hiyoku Renri no Darling'', which eschews the time travel and conspiracies in favor of fanservice and fun. |
| 19 | * ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'': |
| 20 | ** ''Red Alert 2'' is much lighter and softer than its predecessors. ''Red Alert 1'' is a game where Einstein goes back in time and kills Adolf Hitler, allowing a power-hungry Stalin to invade Europe. ''Red Alert 2'' is a game where the Soviet Union invades the USA with blimps and mind-controlled squid. This was a reaction to the DarkerAndEdgier ''Tiberian Sun'', which most fans of the C&C series didn't like. |
| 21 | ** ''Red Alert 3'' is an interesting case: the storylines and general content are actually quite a bit ''darker'' than its predecessors (the Empire of the Rising Sun in general is the source of this), but between the [[LargeHam mandatory ham injections for all the actors]], sheer [[RefugeInAudacity balls-to-the-wall craziness]] in unit design, and [[RuleOfFun general nuttiness]], it comes off as the lightest and fluffiest installment yet. |
| 22 | ** And the Tiberium series got ''Tiberium Wars''. It features Tiberium {{W|eaponsOfMassDestruction}}MDs, alien invasions, and maniacs in command on both sides, so it's not exactly rainbows and puppies. However, in contrast with ''Tiberian Sun'', we see Blue Zones where humanity is thriving in futuristic cities (with basically unlimited resources thanks to Tiberium), and the GDI ZOCOM forces are starting to utilize technologies that can Tiberium and have managed to reclaim several territories already. |
| 23 | * ''VideoGame/CrashMindOverMutant'': Generally more cartoony and lighthearted than ''VideoGame/CrashOfTheTitans'', but it does have its share of dark moments. Some of the Titans also have more cartoony designs. |
| 24 | * The ''VideoGame/{{Creatures}}'' trilogy is a series of artificial life simulation games, taking place on an alien world [[RecycledInSpace (or on a spaceship if you count the third entry and its stand-alone expansion)]] where you have to take care of fuzzy yet amazingly complex creatures called Norns, protecting them from a premature death by [[AlwaysChaoticEvil Grendels]], [[SuperDrowningSkills drowning]] or [[CuriosityKilledTheCast potentially lethal curiosity]]. Following the trilogy came ''Creatures Adventures'' and ''Creatures Playground'', both of which change the alien world setting to [[SugarBowl a colorful kindergarten-esque area]], change the overall look of the Norns to make them [[RidiculouslyCuteCritter even more cute and colorful]] than their predecessors and do away with the more complex gadgets and machinery introduced in ''Creatures 3''. Both games are clearly targeted to child audiences. |
| 25 | * Developer commentary for ''VideoGame/DarkestDungeon2'' has indicated that it's going to be shifting the bleakness down a bit compared to ''VideoGame/DarkestDungeon'', although it's still a downplayed example: what it's offering is EarnYourHappyEnding compared to the original game's DownerEnding, but it's still going to be a dark, difficult game. |
| 26 | * ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'', Demitri and Morrigan’s interaction in most of their crossover and guest appearances is on a much lighter note than originally portrayed in their home series; Demitri wants Morrigan to be his mistress, he hasn’t been shown to be really in love with her, he admires her beauty and strength but all Demitri wants to have is the Aensland household under his thumb, getting Morrigan with it is just an welcome bonus to his harem; Morrigan on the other hand is a free spirit and isn’t particularly interested in Demitri nor does she want to become a submissive mistress, to the point she would rather let herself turn into stone than become Demitri’s mistress in his ending for Vampire Savior. Come their later appearances, and in some of them Demitri and Morrigan seem quite close, with Morrigan teasing Demitri and calling him by nicknames and the guy actually getting embarrassed, being composed in her presence, not wanting to make her his plaything. |
| 27 | * ''VideoGame/DayOfTheTentacle'' is more purely a comedy, as opposed to its predecessor, ''VideoGame/ManiacMansion'', which is a horror/sci-fi game with some funny bits. Also unlike the first game, ''[=DotT=]'' has no unwinnable scenarios or time limits. |
| 28 | * While not exactly softer, ''VideoGame/DeadRising2: Off the Record'' is lighter than its vanilla counterpart: Frank West's lack of a personal stake in the Fortune City outbreak means that there is more room for humor, helped a bit by Frank being quite a bit chattier ([[DeadpanSnarker and snarkier]]) than Chuck Greene. |
| 29 | * ''VideoGame/DeadIsland'' has a lighter and softer spinoff in ''Dead Island Epidemic''. The series went from [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34Hnozbj2pA this]] tragic horror to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mFCStykrCQ this]] zombie comedy more. It's like a five-round cage fight against Wrestling/BrockLesnar vs. a pillow fight with Wrestling/AJLee. |
| 30 | * ''VideoGame/DeathSmiles'', a shooter by CAVE, reduces a bit of its horror elements with a lighter style where the girls stop an evil Santa Claus to find several {{MacGuffin}}s that will wake up their benefactor to save them from certain death. |
| 31 | * The Wii version of ''VideoGame/DefendYourCastle'' features arts and crafts-style graphics and not a drop of blood, unlike the original Flash version. |
| 32 | * ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}'' is notably lighter in terms of both tone and content than most first person shooters of [[TurnOfTheMillennium the Oughts]] and TheNewTens, featuring a T rating, BloodlessCarnage, wizards from space, and a setting that's explicitly meant to be AWorldHalfFull. |
| 33 | * Not in terms of story or subject matter, but visually, ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'' features a much brighter color palette for its demons, level design and environments than the [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry1 first]] [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry2 three]] [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening games]] which take place almost exclusively in bleak environments such as a haunted castle, an abandoned island, and a gothic tower respectively. |
| 34 | * ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'': |
| 35 | ** ''VideoGame/DiabloII'' comes off as significantly lighter and softer than its predecessor. This mostly has to do with the outside levels and there being a day/night cycle. A jungle (and a desert in all its sun-baked brightness, for that matter) during the day is just not as creepy as an underground crypt or a perpetually night time village. On the other hand, Acts 4 and 5 are more creepy than the original game, considering that the former actually takes place in hell itself and the latter takes place on a mountain besieged by TheLegionsOfHell. |
| 36 | ** This trope is what some of the ''more easily agitated'' fans feared Blizzard had done with ''VideoGame/DiabloIII''. Blizzard took the opportunity to [[PlayedForLaughs play the accusations for laughs]], and made the image on the main trope page. And then they made the lighter and softer JokeLevel [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BgOeK72jSs Whimsyshire]] and included it as a secret bonus in the actual game. |
| 37 | * Against the tide of Franchise/{{Ma|ssEffect}}ture [[Franchise/DragonAge Dark]] [[WesternRPG Role Playing Games]], ''VideoGame/DivinityIITheDragonKnightSaga'' is much notably lighter in tone and setting than most {{Western RPG}}s out at the time. |
| 38 | * ''VideoGame/DisneyPrincessEnchantedJourney'' is lighter and softer than the movies the worlds are based on, though there are villains. |
| 39 | * ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest'': The remake for Platform/GameBoyAdvance uses brighter colors and more cartoonish qualities. The ending is also slightly altered. In the original version, K. Rool falls from his ship after defeat [[spoiler:and gets eaten by piranhas]], but in the GBA remake, [[spoiler:he falls into the Lost World and vows for revenge, which hints at getting the GoldenEnding]]. The GoldenEnding is changed, too. In the original version, [[spoiler:K. Rool rides away in EvilLaughter as Crocodile Isle collapses]], whereas in the Game Boy Advance remake, additional dialogue is added [[spoiler:and Funky drops a bomb on K. Rool]]. |
| 40 | * ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry3DixieKongsDoubleTrouble'' has Donkey Kong being captured (again), while Diddy Kong has also been kidnapped. Despite this, however, ''[=DKC2=]'' was still the more aesthetically and audibly serious game of the three. Here, the levels are more colorful and based on nature like the first, the enemies and bosses have more comical and less intimidating designs, K. Rool is LaughablyEvil (well... even more so than usual), and the secret ending is an outright farce. Even the GameOver screen is a lot more toned down; instead of showing the main characters beaten up or imprisoned, Dixie and Kiddy are just sitting in a crib. |
| 41 | * ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' is a grim story filled with tragedy where [[GreyAndGreyMorality there is no "good" or "bad" side]]. ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', despite the stakes being greater in scope with no shortage of atrocities witnessed, sets you firmly in the hero's seat with a party united in their desire to save the world. |
| 42 | * ''VideoGame/{{Drakengard}} 2'' might be considered pretty dark compared to other [=JRPGs=], but it is ''incredibly'' lighter than its predecessor. The main character isn't a complete kill-happy sociopath, has a chance to have a romantic arc that ''doesn't'' end horribly, and the game actually includes [[MultipleEndings one ending]] where the world and the main characters are ''not'' doomed to suffer and/or die in various terrible ways. |
| 43 | %%* ''VideoGame/DriverSanFrancisco'' is definitely a lot softer then its disastrous predecessor ''VideoGame/Driv3r''. |
| 44 | * ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'' is far more comedic than its predecessor ''VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings''. While the original starts with a poltergeist invading the hero Ninten's house and centers around a very tragic backstory involving his great-grandparents and the final boss, the second game plays things for more humor barring a few moments. It only really gets as serious as the first game in the final battle, in which the tragic final boss from the first game is reduced to an insane, all-powerful EldritchAbomination. |
| 45 | * The two campaigns of ''VideoGame/EasternExorcist''. The first and main storyline follows the titular Exorcist, Lu Yun-chuan, who lost his brothers after a betrayal, was expelled over a failed demon-hunting mission, and must redeem his failures in a series of increasingly difficult quests [[spoiler:culminating in a borderline DownerEnding where all his friends are dead, and he must eliminate his EvilFormerFriend after his last, surviving companion pulls a TakingTheBullet to save him]]. The second, follow-up story on the other hand follows Xiahou-zue, a half-human, half-''hulijing'' on a quest to save her brother, without any double-crossings or backstabbings, where her storyline is far more straightforward, easier, and with a far more optimistic ending [[spoiler:with Xiahou-xue finishing her mission and traveling across China with her quite-alive human LoveInterest]]. Case in point: The former storyline have Lu dealing with a VengefulGhost who used to be a child who starved to death and a highly-destructive water demon slaughtering a whole village who's revealed to be a rape ''victim'' sentenced to execution by ApatheticCitizens; the darkest chapter in Xiahou-xue's quest is that of a lost-dog-turned-demon searching for it's missing master. |
| 46 | * The third ''VideoGame/EndlessNightmare'' game, ''Shrine'', is this compared to it's two predecessors, and also softer than it's two sequels. The first two games' dark storyline of the hero having his entire family murdered is replaced with the hero being a badass adventurer, all psychological horror elements were written out, instances of violence runs on BloodlessCarnage (since the undead enemies went from zombies to ancient Egyptian corpses or mummies, their blood were long dried-up), you have an on-off ally Jessica who regularly supply you with bullets and items ensuring you won't be running dry of ammo, and anything remotely scary can be pummeled to a pulp thanks to thanks to your high-tech PowerFist (a far stronger weapon than the knife and hammer used in other entries). |
| 47 | * ''VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy'': The final boss of [[VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy1 the first game]] is a heavily mutilated, zombified [[Franchise/DragonBall Goku]] (or an {{expy}} named Roku in the Collection), and in the ending his death explosion is suggested to have killed the heroes. The sequels have their dark moments, but no designs are as outright gory as Goku's, and the [[SuddenlySpeaking dialogue added]] allows for more humor to play out. Every single sequel also has an unambiguously happy ending no matter how bad things get, in contrast to the SuddenDownerEnding in the first game (which [[VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy2 the second game's]] opening retcons by saying that Matt and Natalie survived the explosion with heavy injuries). |
| 48 | * ''VideoGame/EpicMickey'' is admittedly DarkerAndEdgier for a WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse game, but it's actually lighter and softer for a game by Warren Spector. As he put it, "I want people to smile when they are playing, not get all scrunched up with adrenaline." |
| 49 | * ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'': |
| 50 | ** ''VideoGame/Fallout2'' zigzags this. Compared to the rest of the Fallout games, it's full of humor and pop culture references, and the main villains are [[CartoonishSupervillainy cartoonly evil]] rather than the anti-villains the last game had. However, ''Fallout 2'' is also thematically much darker than its predecessor, letting things like drug wars, slavery (economic and sexual), cannibalism and deliberate genocide (which had previously only been alluded to) take place on center stage. |
| 51 | ** ''VideoGame/FalloutShelter'', thanks to the cartoony Vault Boy-style artwork, and how the entire point of the game is expanding the Vault and keeping your Dwellers happy, which creates a great contrast to the other Fallout games. |
| 52 | ** ''VideoGame/Fallout4''. Compared to the utter carpet bombing the aptly-named [[VideoGame/Fallout3 Capital Wasteland]] got, Boston was targeted by only a single nuke... which missed and landed far south. Consequently, the historic city and the surrounding area are nowhere near as damaged or irradiated, people are (mostly) friendlier and more idealistic, and settlements are much closer and more numerous. The game is also less dark in its themes and stories with slavers and slavery being ''heavily'' toned down and any mention of sex or rape is just implied by select characters, and unlike ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', sexism towards a female protagonist has been removed with the gender of the protagonist never affecting the story or interactions with characters. |
| 53 | ** ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' has a similar situation to Boston, where the majority of the nukes sent to blast the area were destroyed by Mr. House (only two got by because he miscalculated the day the war would come) and the story is more like the first two games, with their fair share of ridiculousness and darkness, especially with the [[SillinessSwitch "Wild Wasteland"]] trait. |
| 54 | *** Some [=DLCs=] are more light hearted than others, or even the main game. On one hand, we have the desolate [[DeathWorld Death Worlds]] of ''Dead Money'' and ''Lonesome Road'', and on the lighter side, we have ''Honest Hearts'' for the SceneryPorn of Zion Valley and ''Old World Blues'' for its humour and goofiness. |
| 55 | * ''Franchise/FarCry'' |
| 56 | ** ''VideoGame/FarCry2'' and ''VideoGame/FarCry3'' are depressing shooters that savagely dehumanize the main character and show the futility of the world. ''VideoGame/FarCry3BloodDragon'' is a direct nod back to ''VideoGame/FarCry1'' with Neon Mohawk action. |
| 57 | ** ''VideoGame/FarCry4'' also qualifies as this to a smaller level. Admittedly, you're playing a game fighting against the [[TheCaligula mad dictator]] of a [[{{Qurac}} war-torn Himalayan country]], and [[spoiler:whoever you bring to power ultimately turns the [[LaResistance Golden Path]] into a FullCircleRevolution]], but it's comparatively lighter and softer than ''Far Cry 3'', since there's less [[ColdBloodedTorture torture]], [[RapeAsDrama rape]], and [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil slavery]], and the series embraces ComedicSociopathy more. [[spoiler:There's even a SecretEnding where you manage to complete Ajay's original mission- place his mother's ashes in Kyrat- without killing a single soul, if you just take Pagan Min's advice and wait at his dinner table for 10 minutes until he returns.]] |
| 58 | ** ''VideoGame/FarCryPrimal'' ditches the main series' Moral Ambiguity and pessimistic cynicism about conflict and violence. Here, the main point of the game is for [[BarbarianHero Caveman Hero]] Takkar to reunite his scattered people, the Wenja, and fight back against adversity from the [[CannibalTribe Udam]] and [[{{Pyromaniac}} Izila]] tribes. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking Oh, and you don't need to worry about]] [[EverythingIsTryingToKillYou constant attacks from violent wildlife]], because Takkar is TheBeastmaster, and he can tame the fierce prehistoric wildlife of Oros and [[BeastOfBattle bring them into battle alongside him]]. Yes, you can literally have pet Woolly Mammoths/Sabertooths/Cave Bears, etc. Quite an accomplishment for a Far Cry game. |
| 59 | * ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'': |
| 60 | ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIII'', compared to its dark [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyII predecessor]] and its more story-heavy [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV successor]]. [[TearJerker/FinalFantasyIII That doesn’t mean that there aren’t some sad scenes, though]]. |
| 61 | ** Compared to its story- and angst-heavy [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV predecessor]] and [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI successor]], respectively, ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' can come off as humorous, even borderline [[AffectionateParody parodic]]; however, the theme of [[spoiler: planet-level destruction and {{Heroic Sacrifice}}s]] is still present. |
| 62 | ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'' is accused of this, but it only really applies to the visual style, especially as the plot focuses heavily on themes such as genocide. However, it does gives off the initial impression of this with its slapstick-heavy intro. |
| 63 | ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2'' is this, big time. The body count is almost non-existent, everything is more cheerful, and the music is much more upbeat. Hey, the end of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' [[spoiler: had an ultimate force of death and destruction wiped off the plane of existence]], it's needed. [[TropesAreTools One of the game's major themes is exploring the new peace and preventing a backslide into more conflict]]. |
| 64 | ** While ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' has your standard dark and gritty plot, the Hidibrand side quests about a bumbling IronButtMonkey buffoon detective who routinely gets blown up (or buried in the ground from the head to the torso) while sporting a hilariously creepy smile breathes the trope. The developers stated that the Hilidbrand quests were made to instill some hilarity and comedy in the game without affecting the grit of the main story. Gilgamesh becoming involved only serves to make it even moreso, with him serving a FriendlyEnemy[=/=]BumblingSidekick role that provides many opportunities for even further laughs. |
| 65 | ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance'' and [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsA2 its direct sequel]] have much more light-hearted plots than the original ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'', a game about murder, betrayal, class warfare and [[PathOfInspiration the evils of organized religion]]. |
| 66 | ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyMysticQuest'' has a ClicheStorm plot along with the associated tropes, but many of the characters (including the main character) don't take the quest to save the world too seriously. One character has a very upbeat theme music that plays whenever he appears and the main character is a KidHero that complains about his paltry allowance. |
| 67 | * In the ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' series, ''VideoGame/FireEmblemEngage'' comes right off the heels of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses''. ''Three Houses'' is one of the darker entries in the franchise, being a very GrayAndGreyMorality tale with sympathetic characters killing each other over ideals and genuine eldritch horrors and plain human cruelty being a part of the lore. ''Engage'' is comparatively much softer, being a [[BlackAndWhiteMorality straightforward good vs. evil tale]] with a [[DenserAndWackier rather goofy cast]] that gives even its most malicious villains [[AlasPoorVillain tragic sendoffs]]. |
| 68 | * The first ''[[VideoGame/{{Forza}} Forza Horizon]]'' game was rated T by the ESRB, containing some risque humor and profanity in the dialogue. The second game received an E10+, toning down but not completely removing the risque humor and profanity. The third and fourth games were rated E, with the fourth game even receiving a patch adding additional censorship to some in-game songs to maintain an E rating with no descriptors. |
| 69 | * ''[[VideoGame/{{Glider}} Glider PRO]]'' replaces the dilapidated, stormbound atmosphere of ''Glider 4.0'' with a sunny palette, cheery music, and a wide-open environment. |
| 70 | * Depending on what angle you look at it from, ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' is both this and/or DarkerAndEdgier at the same time. |
| 71 | ** Kratos is a bigger bastard and sociopath than any major Greek hero ever was. The Olympian pantheon is portrayed with a lot less of their positive traits present (while the Olympians of myth were the template for JerkassGods a lot of them, even Zeus, had their positive traits and PetTheDog moments) and the story is mostly told through this bleak, bloody lense that tends to forgo the more adventurous and and lighter moments spread throughout even a lot of the darker myths. On the other hand, the games also leave out a lot of sexual deviance, bed tricks, incest and the like also found in the myths. |
| 72 | ** ''Videogame/GodOfWarPS4'' throws away a lot of the gratuitous violence, cruelty, and sex of the previous games, and instead being an ComingOfAgeStory from the father's point of view. |
| 73 | * ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' for Game Boy features the title monster in a puzzle platformer game portraying Godzilla and the enemy monsters as cutesy chibi creatures. Godzilla in particular resembles the protagonists of ''VideoGame/BubbleBobble''. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAxcuP6_RdQ It has to be seen to be believed]]. |
| 74 | * The shift in tone between ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV'' and ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'' is {{Reconstruct|ion}}ed. Granted, it's still [[CrapsaccharineWorld not a completely comedic, cheerful game]] (Trevor's a crazy speed-freak who has mental stability issues, and Michael has a dysfunctional family), but compared to the bleak outlook of ''IV'', ''V'' is a bit more in line with the ''GTA III'' era games in terms of its Hollywood-esque portrayal of the crime world. Plus you have Franklin as a younger, better-adjusted character to round out Trevor and Michael's more negative character traits. [[spoiler:Lastly, you get a chance to EarnYourHappyEnding as a [[TakeTheThirdOption third option]], unlike ''IV'', where a BittersweetEnding with a major character death is inevitable.]] |
| 75 | * ''Gundam: The Battle Master'' had a dark underlying plot that is definitely in line with the anime it was based on despite being in an AlternateContinuity [[CanonDiscontinuity that isn't even recognized by even the]] ''[[Anime/GundamBuildFighters Build Fighters]]'' series, with the government using human test subjects to advance war efforts leading to a CreateYourOwnVillain-moment (with one of them being a child, no less), the main protagonist of the second game having [[DeceasedParentsAreTheBest her parents killed in an]] [[ApocalypseHow apocalyptic meteor strike that ravaged the Earth]], as well as themes of NatureVersusNurture. The western version, ''Gundam Battle Assault'', nixes everything from ''The Battle Master'' and uses characters from the anime up until ''Gundam Wing'', resulting in the plot being heavily changed into the much less serious "Heero Yuy going around kicking everyone's ass in order to bring a new era of peace". And that's ignoring ''Battle Assault 2'' having even less of a plot and instead exists to be [[TropesAreTools a fun-as-hell tournament fighter]]. |
| 76 | * ''VideoGame/GwentTheWitcherCardGame'': Compared to the hard M for Mature nature of the source material, Gwent is rated T to appeal to a larger audience. In the transition, several things had to be toned down. [[SirSwearsALot Notably crass characters]] Thaler and Zoltan's parrot, Field Marshal Duda, aren't allowed to [[ClusterFBomb swear every other breath]]. The Redanian Elites have been reigned in, instead of being willing to rape for their country, they will... eat worms. Vesimir is still too old for this shit, however. |
| 77 | * ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'': |
| 78 | ** The series has partially fallen into this, with the amount of blood sprayed around being reduced from enough to paint the walls purple (or blue, or orange, or red) to barely enough to fill a shot glass. Averted in that the storyline maintains its position halfway down the cynicism side of the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism. This got to the point that ''Halo 5'' ended up with a T rating instead of M, but since the series has always been at the low end of the M rating, most people didn't care too much. |
| 79 | ** The continued T ratings with ''Halo Infinite'' had plenty of fans clamoring for a return to the M rating. However, other than the toned down blood and the lack of the Flood, both ''Halo 5'' and ''Halo Infinite'' had campaigns very much in the same style as their M rated predecessors. With ''Halo Infinite'' also heavily mimicking the art style of the classic Bungie games the similar tone was especially apparent. Where the T rating ''did'' impact ''Halo Infinite'' notably though was when it was revealed 343i had been removing several fan made Forge maps from the game's file share service due to graphic depictions of blood and corpses in them. |
| 80 | * ''VideoGame/HeyYouPikachu'' and ''VideoGame/PokemonChannel'' to the mainline ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' series. You just take care of a wild Pikachu, and with time, you become good friends. [[RecycledINSPACE The latter half is the same as the prequel, but while you both watch T.V.]] |
| 81 | * ''[[VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry Higurashi: Daybreak]]'', a doujin game that [[WordOfDante the creators added to the canon]], has no murder or horror - just fun. Fun with baseball bats and billhooks, but it's not gory like the original series. |
| 82 | * ''Hitman GO'' is considerably tamer than ''Franchise/{{Hitman}}'', receiving an [=E10+=] rating compared to the M rating for all the main franchise's games. There are still weapons and acts of violence in the game, but due to the board game style, it comes off as much tamer. There's also none of the sex or profanity present in the other games. |
| 83 | * ''The VideoGame/HouseOfTheDead EX'' takes this to an extreme. The story consists of [[CuteMonsterGirl Cute Zombie Girl]] Zobiko and her love interest Zobio breaking out of a lab and escaping a zombie invasion through minigames such as catching apples, battling a zombie sumo wrestler, and encountering the first boss of ''The House of the Dead 4'' and shooting out his bad teeth. Yes, this game exists. And the zombie couple appear as playable characters in ''[[VideoGame/SegaSuperstars Sega All-Stars Racing]]''. |
| 84 | ** ''The Typing Of The Dead'' spoofs the whole thing in ''The VideoGame/HouseOfTheDead 2'' to the extreme. After finishing the Emperor, you are asked about how you want to execute Goldman; depending on how you answer the questions, one of three funny endings will be played. |
| 85 | ** ''House of the Dead: Overkill'' is not only ''less'' violent relative to previous entries in the franchise, it has loads of {{camp}} elements and humour, despite its, well... [[ClusterFBomb overkill of swearing]]. |
| 86 | * The ''VideoGame/IkariWarriors'', moved in this direction regarding games that featured ol' Ralf and Clark. Their first game was essentially the [[Franchise/{{Rambo}} First Blood series]] as a video game and then their second game might as well be VideoGame/{{Contra}} with a bird's eye point of view - you know things are getting grimdark when your hero starts off with a flamethrower {{BFG}} just to survive. Then things start lightening up, the third game had them kung-fu fighting to save the President's kid and their franchise ends shortly after this. But now they show up in other game franchises where they really get lighter and softer. Ralf and Clark are [[DivergentCharacterEvolution no longer John Rambo clones and now have distinct characters and looks]], they go [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters chilling at martial art tournaments]] while making a ton of new friends and then they're also showing up in [[VideoGame/MetalSlug cartoony run and gun games involving cutesy tanks]] and ThoseWackyNazis of the StupidJetpackHitler type. |
| 87 | * [[VideoGame/CandyCrushSaga King's]] MatchThreeGame, ''VideoGame/BubbleWitchSaga 2'', has cutesy graphics (including chibis on the map screen), and the only hazard is [[FogOfWar fog]] that obscures some of the bubbles already on-screen. Mission objectives range from the usual clearing the top of the screen to freeing an adorable ghost or rescuing animals. Compare this to the original ''Bubble Witch Saga'', where the overarcing plotline involves evil spirits overrunning the land. This actually ties into some of the hazards, like the infected bubbles. Other hazards involve bubbles becoming encased in crystal, bombs start counting down when exposed and end the level if not removed within the time limit, poison bubbles that kill off your spiders (that's a bad thing; having spiders helps your score immensely), and death bubbles that end your game instantly if you hit them. |
| 88 | * ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded'' is probably the cheeriest game in [[Franchise/KingdomHearts the entire series]]. The plot is light--"let's make a data-Sora and have a nostalgic romp through a bunch of worlds from the first game while he fixes some inconsistencies in Jiminy's Journal!"--and there's a bigger focus on fun gameplay than in other installments of the series. The game has its sad and scary parts, for sure, but it's still more optimistic than its contemporaries, ''[[ShootTheShaggyDog Birth by Sleep]]'' and ''[[RetGone 358/2 Days]]''. And while the saga itself isn't particularly lighter and softer than anything, its take on some Disney stories is, such as ''WesternAnimation/{{The Little Mermaid|1989}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{The Hunchback of Notre Dame|Disney}}'', though ''WesternAnimation/{{Cinderella}}'' and ''Film/TronLegacy'' [[DarkerAndEdgier both go in the opposite direction]]. |
| 89 | * While ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' has always been a SugarBowl filled ([[NightmareFuel primarily]]) with SugarWiki/SweetDreamsFuel, ''VideoGame/KirbysEpicYarn'' stands out as the softest by far - basically being a Kirby game ''without'' the EldritchAbomination or some other truly malevolent force to fight at the end since the original ''Dream Land'', trading it with a very pastel, soft yarn-like aesthetic, [[PokeThePoodle expert poodle-poker]] Yin-Yarn and adorable cutscenes. |
| 90 | * ''VideoGame/Left4Dead2'' still retains the horror and scares that the first game was built upon, but it steers a bit towards the lighter side: there are more levels in the daytime instead of nighttime, and the survivors are open to joke with each other every now and then. |
| 91 | * ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': |
| 92 | ** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening'': Zigzagged. The game, especially the remake, is a lot more cartoony, colorful, humor and slapstick-heavy and has wackier character designs than most of the other games in the series, but the story is among the darkest in the series. |
| 93 | ** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'': After the unexpectedly dark tone seen in the previous 3D installment (''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]''), this game took a lighter tone with a colourful, cel-shaded look and humorous characters and dialogue (though it still has some noticeably dark aspects of its own). |
| 94 | ** The portable games are all significantly lighter and softer than their console counterparts, [[BittersweetEnding except for]] ''Link's Awakening'' and (to a lesser extent) ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks]]''. ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTriForceHeroes'' cranks it further by taking an outright comical bent; the worst thing that happens to anyone in the game is the princess being cursed to wear an ugly outfit. |
| 95 | ** There's also the [[WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfZelda1989 cartoon series]] and [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaCDiGames the first two CD-i games]]. Everything, including the character designs, dialogue, and boss deaths, is much more comical and cartoonish than in any of the canon games. |
| 96 | ** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'': The game is in the middle between the darker styles of its predecessor ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'' and successor ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'' and the lighter style of ''The Wind Waker'', which is evident by both the visual style and the storyline. The atmosphere of the game's world is generally cheery, especially the Sky and the islands in it, and dials back from the melancholic vibe of ''Twilight Princess''. However, the surface below features tense, frightening areas like the Silent Realms, the underground of the Ancient Cistern, and the present era of Lanayru Desert. The game ultimately veers into a darker tone after [[spoiler:Ghirahim kidnaps Zelda and takes her to the past to revive Demise]]. |
| 97 | ** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'': The game's story overall leans more towards this in contrast to its predecessor. ''Breath of the Wild'' was melancholic, built on themes of isolation and loss of identity, as well as being haunted by the impending horror of Calamity Ganon's return. The world felt broken and desolated, barely recovered from the tragedy 100 years earlier and horror and mystery lurking in every corner, covered in roaming monsters and the dangerous Guardians. Despite its more horrifying beginning with the reawakening of Ganondorf and Ganondorf himself being an utter monster of a man compared to his previous incarnation, ''Tears of the Kingdom'' is notably a bit more empowering and brighter, with much more goofy moments, a sense of the world rebuilding and being more united against the threat. Link in particular now has a beloved reputation and many actual allies and friends he can work with and fall back on instead of having to approach the entire adventure on his own. |
| 98 | * Part of the appeal of ''VideoGame/LollipopChainsaw'' is that it's less intense and more humorous than the usual zombie game. However, despite its lighthearted and comical nature, it manages to have a somewhat unsettling Game Over screen (you actually see the main character becoming a zombie, albeit drawn in an American comic style, as opposed to serious zombie games, which have a very generic Game Over screen). |
| 99 | * {{Invoked|Trope}} in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3''. [[AxCrazy Jack]] has become an instructor and no longer swears like she used to. In fact, the worst she does is punch Shepard in the face, before kissing him if romanced. {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d when she tells her students to cover their ears, before telling Joker "Hey, Joker! F--"[[[CurseCutShort LOADING SCREEN]]] Then there's the game's final piece of DLC, ''Citadel'', which is meant as a final sendoff to the trilogy and its characters; it's goofy, cheesy, fun, lampshades anything and everything in the trilogy, and ends on a long party for every surviving squad member from the series. Though the majority of the actual base game is the darkest the franchise has ever been, with the demoralizing war for the fate of the entire galaxy and all. |
| 100 | * ''Franchise/MegaMan'': |
| 101 | ** The ''VideoGame/MegaManZX'' series compared to the previous series, ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'', which is '''''the''''' darkest chapter in the series. It doesn't mean that ''ZX'' is ''light'', exactly (after all, the main cause of the conflict is an ArtifactOfDoom EmotionEater that also ''eats people's souls'' with regular mentions of Mavericks slaughtering innocent people and talks of genocide), just that ''Zero'' is Dark with a capital D (as in systemic genocide of the Reploids is just the ''start'' of the problems, mass-brainwashing, war and suffering, and the darkest villain of the whole ''franchise'' who believes DystopiaJustifiesTheMeans and who tries to [[spoiler:blow up the NewEden with a KillSat and then a ColonyDrop. Oh yeah, and the previously-mentioned ArtifactOfDoom in ''ZX''? That's his SoulJar merged with the wrecked remains of the KillSat turned ColonyDrop]]). |
| 102 | ** ''VideoGame/MegaMan8'' stands out as a very brightly-colored entry in the Classic series, especially compared to its DarkerAndEdgier predecessor ''VideoGame/MegaMan7''. Mega Man himself has IncorruptiblePurePureness, the color palette is much more pastel-like and vibrant, the characters (especially the robot masters) are much sillier and goofier, and the soundtrack is much more relaxed and subdued. |
| 103 | ** ''VideoGame/MegaManPoweredUp'' could be considered this compared to the original game, with the brighter graphics, the cutesy voices, the Super Deformed art style, and the lowered difficulty. |
| 104 | ** In an overall [[VideoGame/MegaManX dark series]], ''Mega Man X1'' and ''Mega Man X8'' stand out as unusually cheerful and laid-back entries. Sure, ''X1'' has [[spoiler:Zero's HeroicSacrifice]] and ''X8'' has all the horrific implications of [[spoiler:the New Generation Reploids planning on wiping out humanity]], but they carry a triumphant and hopeful tone that our heroes will end up victorious and happy regardless. Compare this to the other entries, where there's usually some heavy BittersweetEnding due to the number of innocent or tragic victims involved or the implications going forward. |
| 105 | * A mod for the sombre [[WorldWarIII nuclear war]] simulator ''VideoGame/{{DEFCON}}'' exchanges Mutually Assured Destruction for Christmas and Santa Claus: the silos become Christmas trees, the [=ICBMs=] are presents, the bombers are reindeer-pulled sleighs, and the megadeath casualties become millions of happy children. |
| 106 | * ''VideoGame/MetalGear'': |
| 107 | ** The NES version of ''VideoGame/MetalGear1'' is lighter than the MSX version by the simple expedient of using brighter colours in the graphics and using a cheery, poppy soundtrack rather than the original's chiptune-Creator/JohnCarpenter [[InTheStyleOf pastiche]] proto-UsefulNotes/{{Synthwave}}. It also changes some levels around to give the impression that Outer Heaven is a military base in the jungle (similar to the campy 80s action movie setpieces of the day), when in the original it's clearly based on a prison camp. |
| 108 | ** ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPeaceWalker'', while not without dark content, was designed to be more comic-book like and "youthful" in order to contrast with the bleak and fatalistic ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'' that preceded it. The art direction is colourful, there's no blood, the character in the position that would usually be the main villain is [[GoodVersusGood clearly a good person doing what she thinks is best]], there's cute kids, and the optional audio conversations put an unusual amount of emphasis on the characters just having fun partying together and organising concerts. |
| 109 | * ''VideoGame/MinecraftStoryMode'': |
| 110 | ** It's probably the lightest fare from Creator/TelltaleGames since ''Videogame/WallaceAndGromitsGrandAdventures''. It's colorful and comedic, and the choices the player has to make aren't quite as morally complicated or difficult as the ones in ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDead'' or ''VideoGame/TheWolfAmongUs''. |
| 111 | ** Oddly enough, it also manages to be DarkerAndEdgier when compared to ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' itself, with such concepts as [[spoiler:the Wither Storm, which when compared to the already EnemyToAllLivingThings version in-game is upgraded to a PersonOfMassDestruction, acting like a living natural disaster and destroying entire cities merely by being present. As an extension of that, this game's version of Wither Sickness is an IncurableCoughOfDeath that literally causes a person to rot away to nothing.]] |
| 112 | ** Episode 5 is this relative to the rest of the series, except for the fact that [[spoiler: Jesse is still grieving over the death of Rueben.]] |
| 113 | * ''Franchise/MortalKombat'': |
| 114 | ** The port of ''VideoGame/{{Mortal Kombat|1992}}'' to the Platform/SuperNES [[Bowdlerise/VideoGames removes the blood and some of the more graphic fatalities]]. |
| 115 | ** ''VideoGame/MortalKombatVsDCUniverse'' had all of ''MK'''s blood removed, and the fatalities severely toned down, to comply with DC's restrictions and the ESRB T rating. ComicBook/TheJoker's awesome Fatality from the game's early promotional materials was even replaced with a GoryDiscretionShot for American audiences. |
| 116 | ** ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1'' is oriented about this tone while still being just as violent and gory as its predecessors. The game's story takes place in a [[ContinuityReboot New Era]] created by Fire God Liu Kang after given the opportunity to [[RestartTheWorld reconstruct the timeline]], which he steered towards fostering peace and harmony. While conflict still exists (both of natural entropy and of outside machinations by evildoers), virtually all characters are given the opportunity to better themselves and not be forced into evil or their grim situations like in the previous timelines, resulting in [[AdaptationalHeroism many turning to the side of the righteous]] or at least being not as malevolent and burdened as past incarnations. The game [[ArtEvolution is also very literally lighter and softer thanks to shifts in art direction and narrative aesthetic]] -- the realms of ''Mortal Kombat'' are nowhere near the levels of barren-to-hellish wastelands as before, and the worlds are allowed to finally appear much more lush, vibrant, and even tranquil. |
| 117 | * The VideoGame/{{Lego Adaptation Game}}s are often a lot more light-hearted and less self-serious than the various source materials, with humorous cutscenes, bright and colorful visuals, and in early games, characters who mime and mumble rather than have actual dialogue. And as the series progressed, death itself became too dark for the cutscenes, no matter how poignant the original made them. Cedric Diggory, Boromir, and Han Solo are among those who "get better". |
| 118 | * ''VideoGame/MySims'' is a lighter and softer version of ''VideoGame/TheSims'' with chibis, no child-rearing or romance, and very few actual social aspects from ''The Sims''. It's a very fun game, but it's also more like ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'' for people who don't like being bossed about by a tanuki. In other words, if the only thing you liked about ''VideoGame/TheSims'' was [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential killing them in various and evil ways]], ''My Sims'' might not be for you. There are no swimming pools, eating is something that happens because they happen to encounter a table and chair, and you can't block doorways with furniture (and if you could, ''you'd'' be stuck until you removed it). The worst you can do is Be Mean, which ranges from insults and hitting them with water balloons to stepping on their feet and getting into dust-ups, [[BigBallOfViolence complete with dust cloud]]. |
| 119 | * ''VideoGame/OctopathTraveler'': Compared to some other stories of the game which involve instances of murder, betrayal and revenge, Tressa's story is significantly more lighthearted than the others. She's the only character confirmed to have living biological parents, and her story involves her going out to see the world and make friends/money along the way. She hasn't suffered any major personal tragedies in her past. This heavily contrasts with Primrose's story, which is possibly the darkest one of all, containing implications of sexual content, human trafficking and her quest being driven by the desire to kill the men who murdered her father. |
| 120 | * ''[[VideoGame/OperationWolf Operation Wolf Returns: First Mission]]'', when compared to the previous games, has more colorful visuals and an 80s Saturday morning cartoon vibe which almost certainly won't feel out of place for something akin to ''Franchise/GIJoe''. |
| 121 | * ''VideoGame/PocketMortys'' is this to ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty''. The show's signature humor is still there, but it's toned down to a PG level, with there being no adult content other than some minor swears and a bit of innuendo. Some lines from the show are even {{Bowdlerized}}. |
| 122 | * The [[NoExportForYou Japan-exclusive]] Wiiware titles of the ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon'' series are much more lighthearted then the previous games, using the chibi Pokémon models first seen in ''Pokémon Ranch'' and having a silly plot, with its climax boiling down to you stopping the townsfolk from arguing over some chocolate you brought them by finding some special cookies for them to share (as opposed to preventing the world from being destroyed). |
| 123 | * Illusion's HGame library started off as dark sci-fi and fantasy style H-Games, but as they got newer, better 3D technology, their library softened a bit. Compare ''Rapelay'' to ''Sexy Beach 3'', for instance. |
| 124 | * ''VideoGame/Portal2'' is a few shades lighter than its predecessor, being a little less dark than the original in exchange for being a little bit sillier. While ''Portal 2'' is certainly dark, it doesn't have the constant feeling that something is ''wrong'' like the first game did, due mostly to ''Portal 2'' exploring a lot of the mysteries that the first game left unanswered. |
| 125 | * The ''VideoGame/PowerStone'' series for Platform/SegaDreamcast and Platform/{{P|layStationPortable}}SP is this for Creator/{{Capcom}} fighting games. While the ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' and ''VideoGame/CapcomVs'' series are quite serious, ''Power Stone'' is humorous, comical, and reminiscent of a SaturdayMorningCartoon. |
| 126 | * After the fanbase's displeasure over the DarkerAndEdgier ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersiaWarriorWithin'', Ubisoft made ''The Two Thrones'' less immaturely outrageous, although still a M-rated game. The hero even [[LampshadeHanging apologizes for his foul mood in the previous game.]] The 2008 iteration dialed it back to a Teen rating, aiming for a fantastical, exotic, magical atmosphere reminiscent of ''Sands of Time''. 2010's "Forgotten Sands" took this even further, mimicking the first game in mechanics and tone so closely that it might as well have been a spiritual successor. |
| 127 | * Compared to the first one, ''VideoGame/Prototype2'' is this. [[BlackAndWhiteMorality The shades of good and bad are more clear-cut,]] making it so that Heller is more of a SuperHero than Mercer. [[TrailersAlwaysLie Despite the saddest trailer since]] VideoGame/DeadIsland, [[AngstWhatAngst Heller seems to embrace his power without being hung up on his past]] and [[CursedWithAwesome have fun with it to the point where it looks like he's legitimately enjoying it]]. And finally, the game [[spoiler: ends on a very triumphant note, and also ends with a touching reunion with his [[NeverFoundTheBody not-dead daughter.]] ]] |
| 128 | * The first ''VideoGame/{{Putrefaction}}'' is a dank, dark, creepy game set in a ZombieApocalypse where it's AlwaysNight and levels are confined to dark, creepy basements and tunnels full of undead and giant monsters. It's sequel, ''Void Walker'' is far more light-hearted, eschewing all horror elements and setting the game almost entirely outdoors at dawn, in a brighter and more colorful game world. The atmosphere is far less gloomy as well, the dreary music is gone, the monsters and mutants looks goofier than the zombie-like putrids and you even get to [[spoiler:shoot Hitler in the face]]! |
| 129 | * ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' started out as a series about a [[KillerRabbit cute little cat-like thing]] [[StuffBlowingUp mowing down everything that crosses its path]], and is still about that, but the overall tone became far less cynical over time, trading in BlackComedy in a CrapsaccharineWorld run by [[CorruptCorporateExecutive evil executives]] for a galaxy-sized CityOfAdventure full of [[PlanetOfHats aliens with headgear]], mostly threatened by [[MadScientist over-the-top]] [[SpacePirate villains]] [[CardCarryingVillain with a certificate]] (or at least a FreudianExcuse). This may be best exemplified by the [[GladiatorGames tournaments]] featured in nearly every game, which have gone from being entertainment hosted by the local MegaCorp (who are also sometimes the [[BreadAndCircuses governments]]), to solely the purview of backwater criminals or ProudWarriorRace species. |
| 130 | * ''VideoGame/RedFaction 1'' and ''2'', despite being in the same series, barely resemble each other in many ways, especially overall tone. The first game mostly takes place in Mars within many dark tunnels, and you're part of a miner rebellion to fight off an evil corporation. In short, it's ''Film/TotalRecall1990'' as a first person shooter. The following game? Yeah, you're part of a super soldier squad overthrowing a Stalin {{expy}}, and yeah, it's still violent, but the game's direction is nowhere near as grim and desperate. When enemies nearly get shot dead on the first game, they're screaming for help. On the second one, they jokingly flee, saying they need to think of a new strategy. No, that part's not a joke. |
| 131 | * ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' is this to earlier games in the ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' series, as well as later titles. There's a lot of AscendedMeme going on, and it even pokes fun at the silly plots that the series is known for. |
| 132 | -->'''Saddler''': Don't you think this is a revolutionary way to propagate one's faith?\ |
| 133 | '''Leon''': [[DeadpanSnarker Sounds more like an alien invasion if you ask me.]] |
| 134 | * While ''VideoGame/{{Resistance}}: Fall of Man'' and ''Resistance 2'' are on the hopeless side, depicting humanity being slowly overwhelmed by an alien menace. ''Resistance 3'' and ''Resistance: Burning Skies'' are much more optimistic and heroic than the preceding games. |
| 135 | * The Japan-only Namco arcade rail shooter ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUdQ2yeOsIQ Sailor Zombie]]'' plays much like ''VideoGame/HouseOfTheDead'' and other horror-themed shooters, except most of your enemies are zombified schoolgirl idol singers and you don't blow them to gory smithereens with bullets, but instead shoot them with a specialized gun that cures their zombification. |
| 136 | * ''VideoGame/SaintsRow'': |
| 137 | ** The games after ''VideoGame/SaintsRow2''. While the first two ''SR'' games did have their moments (moreso for the latter), they still took themselves seriously because the Saints were a ragtag ensemble of hardened criminals who were initially established specifically to combat Stilwater's more chaotic and dangerous gangs, and to protect their eponymous neighborhood. Then they became every bit as ruthless as the gangs they fought in sequel. |
| 138 | ** ''VideoGame/SaintsRowTheThird'' had a tonal shift, due to the Saints becoming world-wide celebrities. The story itself is much less dramatic and dark, and more parodic and goofy in comparison. |
| 139 | ** By the time ''VideoGame/SaintsRowIV'' was announced that the Boss became a U.S. President, then was abducted by aliens, and was able to wield powers within a stimulation, '''everyone''' knew what type of game it would be. |
| 140 | * ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown VI'' in comparison to the rest of the series. Being a DreamMatchGame, it uses a festival setting, has no blood or killing moves, and introduces several new fighters who are intentionally designed to be comical or lighthearted. |
| 141 | * The first game in the ''VideoGame/ShadowHearts'' RPG series is M-rated, gloomy, and fairly gory; the second game scored a T-rating and abandons most of the gore for oddball humor, but keeps the grim atmosphere fairly intact; and the third game, also rated T, is so goofy and light-hearted in comparison that it threw some fans off. The Lighter and Softer trend is even more obvious if ''VideoGame/{{Koudelka}}'', the Survival-Horror semi-prequel to the original, is considered. |
| 142 | * The ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' franchise is known for its cynicism and dark themes, but even this one has its lighter moments and spin-offs: |
| 143 | ** The ''VideoGame/DevilChildren / Demi Kids'' sub-series ''seems'' like this. The demons are cuter, the characters are bright and colorful children, we have the usual friendship messages, etc. However, the cast still suffers through a lot of the same terrible things that happen to mainline SMT characters. It was actually pretty successful in Japan, spawning two anime series plus manga and other merchandising. Its run in the U.S. was less fortunate, as ''Book of Light/Dark'' didn't impress. |
| 144 | ** ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor2'' is far more optimistic in tone than ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor'', replacing the ClosedCircle {{mons}} deconstruction with something more akin to the plot of ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' minus the DysfunctionJunction. The world is still getting destroyed, of course, but at least you know your day-to-day agenda beyond simply "try to make it through this one alive". The [[Anime/DevilSurvivor2TheAnimation anime]], meanwhile, turns up the DarkerAndEdgier and becomes basically ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', probably out-darking the first game in the process. |
| 145 | ** ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor'''s UpdatedRerelease, ''Devil Survivor Overclocked'', has some of the most idealistic Law and Chaos routes in the series. God and His angels are more moderate than usual even in the original release, and in Amane's 8th day you prove to be even more moderate than them, redeeming several people that the angels have forsaken and proving a world under God isn't so bad a concept. While Naoya's 8th day can go standard ''Shin Megami Tensei'' Chaos if you kill enemy tamers, if you spare them then you end up uniting all of humanity against God and pulling out a pretty happy ending. |
| 146 | ** The ''Devil Summoner'' games such as ''VideoGame/RaidouKuzunohaVsTheSoullessArmy'' and ''VideoGame/SoulHackers'' overall feel more like Saturday morning actions Shounens, in that while they can get pretty dark, no apocalypse occurs, there's more humor, and the more colorful protagonists tend to not betray each other. The Raidou games feel like you're controlling ''Franchise/LupinIII'' with a demon army. Meanwhile, ''Soul Hackers'' features a cool hacker protagonist alongside his friend Hitomi that has been possessed by a demonic spirit named Nemissa, only for this particular demonic possession to be PlayedForLaughs instead of horror as is usual for ''SMT'', as the two minds bicker back and forth when Hitomi acts like an idealistic comic book superhero while Nemissa is trying hard to be a NinetiesAntiHero and failing humorously. |
| 147 | ** Though the ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'' series can get pretty dark itself, it is definitely lighter and softer when compared to mainline ''SMT''. While ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiI'' involves various horrors like [[spoiler: the hero's party betraying each other and leading bloody campaigns of violence to seize control of a post-apocalyptic Tokyo, the genocide of whatever side you don't align yourself with, and the murder of just about every unfortunate civilian you meet]], the ''Persona'' games generally involve a group of disparate individuals coming together to successfully save the day. [[spoiler: ''VideoGame/Persona2: Innocent Sin'''s ending is the exception, being undoubtedly the darkest point in the entire ''Persona'' series.]] |
| 148 | ** ''VideoGame/Persona4'', in particular, is a considerably more cheerful game compared to its predecessors. |
| 149 | *** While the story is about tracking down a serial murderer while being confronted with the party's darkest secrets and deepest fears, it has a fairly positive attitude about the whole thing. It makes for a nice change after the seriously {{Bittersweet Ending}}s of ''VideoGame/Persona3'' and ''VideoGame/Persona2'', and though it has a lighter feeling to it, it still contains some really dark subject matter. |
| 150 | *** The main cast's character arcs also tend to be lighter in ''Persona 4'' than in ''Persona 3''. Just to compare the first two party members you get in both games, Junpei's arc is he feels like he has no future ahead of him since he's mediocre at best in just about every thing he does, and everyone else he knows is headed to big things. He's also afraid of turning into his drunkard, waste-of-space father. Yosuke's main character arc in comparison is dealing with his feelings about both living in the country instead of the city and the death of the girl he was in love with. Yukari's arc is that she can't stand people who can't stand up for themselves, like her mother who throws herself at boyfriend after boyfriend. Later on she has to deal with the fact that [[spoiler: her father is probably partially responsible for the whole mess they are in]]. In comparison, Chie just feels jealousy towards her best friend and later just wants to be able to protect people. |
| 151 | *** In ''VideoGame/Persona3'', you get a dog named Koromaru. He is cute, pretty intelligent, and does funny things sometimes, but otherwise he's just a normal dog who happens to be able to summon a Persona. In ''Persona 4'' however, you get Teddie, a sentient bear mascot suit who regularly makes bear puns in the English dub and is probably the biggest comic relief character in the game. |
| 152 | ** ''VideoGame/Persona5'': The game starts with the protagonist being arrested for an assault he didn't commit and is promptly sentenced to probation, forcing him to change schools. Right from the start, the atmosphere at school is gloomy, due to the influence of the volleyball coach Suguru Kamoshida, who spreads rumors about you, physically abuses his team and sexually harasses the female students, which everyone keeps quiet about due to the reputation his team brings to the school due to him being a former Olympic athlete. Once the protagonist and his friends dispatch his shadow in the Metaverse and take his palace's treasure, Kamoshida undergoes a change of heart, confesses his crimes and turns himself in. Once he leaves the story, the game's tone brightens considerably. [[spoiler:Then it's subverted on the later arcs, with child abuse and death galore.]] The UpdatedRerelease ''Persona 5 Royal'' then [[spoiler: plays this trope straight, as while Dr. Maruki's reality warping plans are unnerving, he's still a good person in his wish to genuinely see others free from pain, as opposed to the mad false God Yaldabaoth.]] |
| 153 | * ''VideoGame/{{Pikmin}}'': The [[VideoGame/Pikmin2001 first game]] had a lonlier and more alien atmosphere than any of its sequels on account of Olimar having no outside contact. The premise is that Olimar's life support would fail in one month if he does not get his ship repaired, giving the player a strong sense of urgency. The following games have multiple people around giving some form of companionship (whether it's the ship's AI and emails in ''VideoGame/Pikmin2'', the three protagonists of ''VideoGame/Pikmin3'' regularly speaking to each other, or ''VideoGame/Pikmin4'' having dozens of [=NPCs=] in its main area). They're less urgent, with ''2'' and ''4'' having no day limit at all and ''3'' having a much more lenient day limit than the first game. ''Pikmin 2'' in particular has the lowest stakes of the series as most of the game is spent on repaying a company debt, and it introduces goofier creatures like a beetle that [[ToiletHumor harms Pikmin by farting clouds of poison on them.]] Even the soundtrack switches to jazzy and playful themes compared to the more quiet and mysterious music of the first title. |
| 154 | * ''Videogame/SidMeiersAlphaCentauri'''s is an extremely dark game showing the last [[RacialRemnant remnants of humanity]] trying to survive on a hostile world after Earth nukes itself into oblivion. Technologies and ethics get grimmer the further you go on, such as the infamous [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwqN3Ur-wP0 Self Aware Colony]] which [[AllCrimesAreEqual vaporizes dissidents for vandalism]], and the leaders of the expeditions eventually becoming little more than [[BrainInAJar brains in jars]]. ''VideoGame/CivilizationBeyondEarth'', on the other hand, while still sad, is largely upbeat - Earth's civilizations banded together to launch dozens of colony ships to the stars, and the Earth still survives in some form, as the [[NoTranshumanismAllowed Purity's]] "Promised Land" victory has them warping refugees in from Earth to colonize the new planet - while [[TransHuman Supremacy]]'s "Emancipation" victory has them conquer Earth. |
| 155 | * ''VideoGame/SilentHillDownpour'' is less malevolent compared to the rest of the games. It’s less gory than previous entries and character motivations are much more justifiable by comparison. [[spoiler:Murphy killing the man who murdered his son is somewhat more reasonable than James killing his wife]]. |
| 156 | * ''VideoGame/TheSimpsonsHitAndRun'': |
| 157 | ** Compared to ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'', the gameplay of which provides the basis for the former. You can run over people, but they can't die. You can take any car you want, but you're just hitchhiking, not stealing them. You can piss off the police, but all you get is a small fine, as you have no weapons for the cops to confiscate. |
| 158 | ** The game is overall lighter than the original ''[[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Simpsons]]'' series it is based on. While there is still mild swearing, much of the show's racier humor and BlackComedy are traded for slapstick gags and BreakingTheFourthWall. There is very little violence other than people flailing around when kicked/hit by a car, with the exceptions being cutscenes like the Larry the Looter gag or the bonus Itchy and Scratchy clip. [[spoiler:Even when the final level sees a zombie outbreak inspired by the Treehouse of Horror episodes and some characters die, the level itself is less violent than the show's average Halloween special]]. |
| 159 | * ''VideoGame/SkiesOfArcadia'', compared to [=RPGs=] ''in general'' at the time of its release (originally in 2000 on the Dreamcast, then [[UpdatedRerelease ported in 2003]] for the Platform/NintendoGameCube), is lighter and softer in its impossibly optimistic and clean-cut protagonist [[{{Determinator}} Vyse]] (as opposed to the cynical brooding heroes such as [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Cloud Strife]] and [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII Squall Leonhart]] who were more popular at the time), a fairly simple plot (it has its dark moments, but even so), and easy-to-learn battle system. Taken somewhat further in the U.S Dreamcast release, when situations involving drunkenness and a particular near-rape scene involving one of the female protagonists was edited out. |
| 160 | %% * The ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' series is a revolving door between this and DarkerAndEdgier. After the action movie-styled ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2'', ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'' dials things back to the Genesis era games with colorful levels and a breezy, simplistic storyline. ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'' went very DarkerAndEdgier while ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 Sonic '06]]'' is LighterAndSofter by comparison and tried to dial things back to ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure's'' level of darkness. After this the series steadily went in this direction with ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed'', and stayed light (if not getting even lighter) for the following games. ''VideoGame/SonicLostWorld'', ''VideoGame/SonicBoom'', and ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' follow a dark-light-dark zigzag. (Admittedly, Lost World is still NOTHING compared to the previous dark games, Forces, or even Unleashed). |
| 161 | * ''VideoGame/StreetFighterXTekken'' is a crossover game between ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' and ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}''. Contrary to the serious tone both video game franchises have, this game doesn't take itself particularly seriously, what with the humourous character winquotes, the general "party" atmosphere, and the high amount of joke storylines. And Bad Box Art Mega Man. |
| 162 | * ''[[VisualNovel/{{Sunrider}} Sunrider Academy]]'' is this in comparison to the main ''Sunrider'' games. While it has its share of lighthearted moments and silly harem antics, at its core ''Sunrider'' is about a galactic war between two interstellar superpowers, and the protagonist is a starship captain who has to choose between being moral and being pragmatic as he tries to liberate his conquered home planet. ''Sunrider Academy'', meanwhile, is a comedic HighschoolAU DatingSim where the starship captain is now a member of the student council, and his biggest concern is keeping three of the school’s clubs from going under while also trying to get a girlfriend before the end of the year. |
| 163 | * ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'': |
| 164 | ** Even by ''Mario'' standards, ''VideoGame/SuperPrincessPeach'' is one of, if not ''the'' brightest game in the franchise, starring the very sweet, feminine and cute [[GirlyGirl Princess]] [[PrincessClassic Peach]] and her yolk-yellow umbrella friend Perry with a cheerful smile. SPP is filled to the brim with sugar in its presentation. Even Bowser's Castle doesn't have the usual intimidation it carries due to the atmosphere of the game. |
| 165 | ** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'' is this compared to its [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy predecessor]] in both a literal and figurative sense, making it fall more into the tone of a typical ''Mario'' game compared to the DarkerAndEdgier approach ''Galaxy'' made. |
| 166 | *** The first game's story went for a more cinematic approach compared to most other Mario games with both its intro and ending. While it did carry the usual stance of Bowser kidnapping Peach, it was played more seriously than usual and had significantly higher stakes with Bowser imprisoning Toads in crystals, lifting Peach's entire castle into space, and threatening to rule the entire universe. Bowser is even implied to have deliberately put Rosalina and her Lumas in danger when he stole all of the Comet Observatory's Power Stars and left it immobile and in darkness. The ending wasn't much better with the explosion of Bowser's Galaxy Reactor creating a supermassive blackhole, leading to an emotional scene where many Lumas, including the one in Mario's hat, sacrificed themselves to reset the universe, leading into a scene of Rosalina discussing with Mario the cycle of death and rebirth then bringing him into the new universe. ''Galaxy 2'' is significantly less dramatic. Bowser attacking Lubba's starship merely results in Lumas falling to Mario's planet in crystals unharmed, the intense CGI cutscenes are replaced with a picture book framing device with cutscenes of in-game models, and Bowser merely kidnaps Peach without causing any harm to the Toads or even touching the castle. His new transformation into a giant is even played for comedy. The ending lacks the bittersweetness the first game had with a more straightforward happy ending. |
| 167 | *** At many points in the first game where there was a dark starry sky, there is now a blue sky with clouds here, even on the cover art. While there are still levels with the traditional space background, they're about as common as levels with a blue sky in the first game, which is significantly less. |
| 168 | *** The first game's soundtrack, in addition to its grand orchestral scores, also had a number of quieter, melancholic, and atmospheric tracks. The second game features more upbeat tracks by comparison, with the quiet and atmospheric tracks being more few and far between. |
| 169 | *** Rosalina and the Comet Observatory were played with an elegant and mysterious undertone. The Library featured an optional storybook which showcases her tragic backstory. Lubba and the Starship Mario were more upbeat much like the rest of the game. Lubba himself doesn't have a known backstory and is purely played for comedic relief. |
| 170 | ** In a similar situation to ''Galaxy 2'', ''VideoGame/PaperMarioStickerStar'' dials the tone down to the standards of a typical ''Mario'' game. It sticks to an ExcusePlot as opposed to its heavily [[VideoGame/PaperMario64 story]] [[VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor based]] [[VideoGame/SuperPaperMario predecessors]], with virtually no dramatic moments. There are no overarching threats against the world, and Bowser isn't even as much as a threat as he was in the first game due to doing nothing with his royal sticker power other than crashing the Sticker Fest and kidnapping Peach as per the usual. |
| 171 | ** ''VideoGame/LuigisMansionDarkMoon'' is this to the first game in many ways. Aside from King Boo [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope becoming far more evil]] than he was in the first game, everything else was toned down. While the original was a genuinely scary experience (by Nintendo standards), Dark Moon is much more comedic, has separate missions and more puzzle-solving elements than survival, and the aesthetic is much more stylized and quirky, with HollywoodDarkness in contrast to the true darkness of the first game. The original also has descriptions of the portrait ghosts, how they lived and how they died; this game doesn't have the portrait ghosts anymore. |
| 172 | ** ''[[VideoGame/SuperMarioStrikers Mario Strikers: Battle League]]'' is this compared to the original on the Gamecube and ''Charged'' on the Wii, which were DarkerAndEdgier takes on the Mario universe. While the art of the games is still highly stylized, Mario and his friends dropped their JerkassBall personalities and are back to their usual bright and cheery selves. |
| 173 | ** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioParty'': Previous ''Mario Party'' games had Bowser as an actively malicious antagonist who takes pleasure in causing misery for Mario and friends; but here, Bowser steps down from that role to join Mario for some friendly competition. The antagonist role is instead filled by Kamek, who is much less intimidating or mean than his boss was. The amount of violence in the game is also lesser than previous games, with fewer minigames requiring the players to directly attack each other. |
| 174 | * ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU'' skews more colorful and cartoonish than the three games before it, which grew increasingly dingier per installment. |
| 175 | * ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsUX'' may have some depressing and dark series like ''Anime/{{Fafner in the Azure|DeadAggressor}}'' and ''VisualNovel/{{Demonbane}}'', but it still manages to be quite fun. So much fun that even [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam00 Setsuna]], [[TheStoic who never laughs]], laughs in the ending. |
| 176 | * ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsV'': |
| 177 | ** A number of jarring moments from ''Anime/CrossAnge'' are only implied or downplayed. Unlike the original series where ThereAreNoTherapists, several heroes intervene on their [[ItsAllAboutMe negative qualities]], including the MisanthropeSupreme personality of the main character. Finally, some problems and character relationships are either improved early on or arguably better than they were in canon, [[spoiler:including Sylvia]]. |
| 178 | ** Most of the other shows involved also have characters SparedByTheAdaptation or otherwise better-off than they were in canon. Near the end of the game, almost everything that [[spoiler:Black Noir]] has to say is [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall some form of complaint about characters getting off easier than they were supposed to]]. |
| 179 | * For ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsX'', the developers at Bandai Namco aimed for a more kid-friendly/Super Robot approach. ''SRW V'' is pretty dark with the lead-world being based on ''Yamato''. Anime/{{Mashin Hero Wataru|Series}} is the primary focus of ''X'', and much of the early story is focused on the silly circumstances that surround said series. On the same note, consider that Manga/GetterRobo (which uses ''Armageddon'''s world these days), [[Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion Evangelion]], and [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeed Seed]] are all missing in this one. It feels that more depressingly dark or grimdark stories were pushed out. Heck, even [[Manga/ShinMazingerZero Mazinger Zero]] just ends up being "the darkness of Mazinger". And even more profound on this, they made the influence of ''Wataru'' seep into both ''Anime/CodeGeass'' and ''Anime/CrossAnge'', making it a bit more lighter than what happened in ''V'' and even had the titular Lelouch and Ange eventually tone down their aloof and harsh personalities thanks to Wataru. |
| 180 | * ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'', as compared to its progenitor ''VideoGame/TeamFortressClassic'' and other realistic first person shooters such as ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'', ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonor'', or ''VideoGame/{{Battlefield}}''. Other such games and even prior installments in the ''Team Fortress'' series skew towards the serious and grim, without much in the way of intentional humor. On the other hand, ''Team Fortress 2'' plays like a deranged Creator/{{Pixar}} cartoon, and is designed to be both highly stylized and DenserAndWackier than what came before it. In spite of what critics might claim, it's [[AnimationAgeGhetto no child's game]]--it's still surprisingly [[LudicrousGibs graphically gory]] and there's [[NeverSayDie no pretense]] that people aren't dying horribly--but the tone isn't as heavy or serious as other competitors in its genre. This air of lighthearted frivolity makes it easier to dismiss the absurdity of what's going on as just par for the course. While many realistic games have storylines just shy of RippedFromTheHeadlines, the backstory for ''Team Fortress 2'' involves a war being fought over ''driveway gravel'' of all things. |
| 181 | * The [[EldritchAbomination hideous]] True Ogre from the ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'' series [[CharacterCustomization can wear a mask]] in ''Tekken Tag Tournament 2'' that not only replaces his demon horns with red maple bonsai trees, it also makes him look like a cartoony version of himself with PuppyDogEyes. It's somewhat... ''[[UglyCute cute]]''. The mask can be seen at the beginning of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iaRSo04vxk this video]]. |
| 182 | * ''VideoGame/TestDrive Unlimited'' is pretty much lighter and fresher than ''Overdrive'' (the darkest in the series), employing bright colorful graphics, WideOpenSandbox set in tourist attractions and having more-soothing music, whereas ''Overdrive'' has SeriousBusiness storylines and HeavyMetal music employed by point-to-point races and gritty graphics. |
| 183 | * ''VideoGame/TetrisTheGrandMaster 4 - The Masters of Round'' would've been this, featuring flowery and colorful visuals in contrast to ''Tetris: The Grand Master 3''[='=]s space theme, but the game was canceled. ''TGM 2015'' recycles its visual assets, retaining this trope. |
| 184 | * While the Core Design ''Franchise/TombRaider'' games weren't exactly graphic, they did have some pretty dark content like Lara getting impaled on spikes if you fall into a spike pit and Lara being framed for murdering Werner von Croy in ''VideoGame/TombRaiderTheAngelOfDarkness''. When Crystal Dynamics took over the franchise and gave it a reboot, Lara's deaths in game and failures in quick time events have none of the gory details that would have been shown. The games reducing the violence was done in order to keep the games rated T. ''VideoGame/TombRaider2013'' would swing the other way into DarkerAndEdgier territory. |
| 185 | * ''[[VideoGame/TokyoXtremeRacer Kaido Battle]]'' subseries in general is this to ''Shutokou Battle'' main series, employing daytime option, some more soothing music (even the main theme), and colorful graphics. Also, [[FinalBoss the final opponent you face]] isn't a nightmarish GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere. |
| 186 | * ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' has a somewhat odd relationship with this trope. Early on, every game was lighter than the last: ''VideoGame/TouhouKoumakyouTheEmbodimentOfScarletDevil'' has a cast composed of people-eaters and serial killers[[note]]though this fact has been largely retconned away[[/note]], and the threat to the land is fairly serious. Two games later, only the weakest bosses have anything against humans, and the threat turns out not to be a big deal, though there's still an obsession with death and somewhat disturbing backstories. This culminates in ''VideoGame/TouhouFuujinrokuMountainOfFaith'', in which nothing is (discovered to be) at stake and everyone you meet is friendly. This is immediately followed by ''VideoGame/TouhouChireidenSubterraneanAnimism'', where the fact that your character ends up averting the extinction of humanity is one of less worrying things to come up. Since then, things have kind of gotten lighter, with actual threats being rare, but there's more emphasis on FantasticRacism, ''reasons'' for said racism, unhappy backstories, and [[InherentInTheSystem messed up metaphysics]]. And, of course, there's genuinely lighter entries like ''VideoGame/TouhouHisoutensokuChoudokyuuGinyoruNoNazoOOe'' and ''VideoGame/YouseiDaisensouTouhouSangetsusei''. As a whole, ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' gives a lighter and softer version of various elements in Japanese mythology and folklore. And on top of that, everyone is a cute girl. |
| 187 | * ''VideoGame/ToyStory3'': This game is much more light-hearted than the film it is based off of. The Toy Box mode is pretty much all just fun and games, and the story mode has hints of some of the movie's intense moments but nowhere near the same level, and no hint of the more emotional scenes either. |
| 188 | * Bizarrely for a FirstPersonShooter, the AlternateContinuity of ''VideoGame/TronTwoPointOh'' is ''much'' softer and upbeat in tone than the canon built around ''Film/TronLegacy''. This despite Flynn going MIA in both timelines, Lora Baines-Bradley being killed off, and swapping AIIsACrapshoot for HumansAreTheRealMonsters. Killing civilian Programs instantly nets you a NonstandardGameOver, the Programs who are ''not'' actively shooting at Jet tend to be very friendly and helpful (and one of the factions who ''do'' shoot at Jet call it off when they realize he's on their side after all). Contrast with ''Legacy'', where ''every'' Program is trying to get Sam killed in a messy and painful way, or ''WesternAnimation/TronUprising'' where the protagonist is [[HeroWithBadPublicity openly hated]] by most of the citizens. [[spoiler: Furthermore, Jet is able to rescue his father and save {{cyberspace}} from the Datawraith mercenaries and viral threat. Of the ''Legacy'' canon, Anon stops Abraxas and dies horribly. Sam has to watch his father die in front of him, and Beck's DoomedByCanon.]] |
| 189 | * The endings in the ''VideoGame/TwistedMetal'' games made by 989 Studios (''Twisted Metal III'' and ''Twisted Metal 4'') tend to be much lighter and sometimes downright comedic when compared to their predecessors. That said, it's impossible for anyone to outwit Kalypso in 989's timeline, where sometimes the cast manages to subvert the DealWithTheDevil. There's also ''Small Brawl'', which invokes this trope via SpinoffBabies. |
| 190 | * The ''VideoGame/{{Ubersoldier}}'' sequel is this compared to the original; the levels are now set mostly in the outdoors and in daytime with plenty of light, cutscenes are now rendered as comic book pages, there's far more bantering between you and your partner Maria, and it feels more like an adventure game than a gritty war drama. Additionally, the sequel sees your latent ''Ubersoldier'' powers upgraded where you gain new abilities, including a [[UnstoppableRage Berserker Mode]] that allows you to kick way more ass. |
| 191 | * The final two levels of ''VideoGame/{{Unpacking}}'' are notably prettier and lighter in atmosphere than the ones before them most likely reflecting the protagonist's own mood. |
| 192 | * ''VideoGame/ValkyrieProfile2Silmeria'' is remarkably more colorful in setting, has much more vibrant and upbeat music, and starts off with a lighter plot - a far cry from the original ''VideoGame/ValkyrieProfile'', with its drab color palette, depressing soundtrack, and story involving loads and loads of death and Ragnarok around the corner. Oddly enough, this is justified in-universe - [[spoiler:as explained in ''Silmeria'', a MacGuffin (the Dragon Orb) keeps Midgard stable, and when Odin takes it away, Midgard turns into a CrapsackWorld as seen in the original game.]] |
| 193 | * Season Three of ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDead'', while still overall a very dark game what with being about a ZombieApocalypse and all, tones it down considerably [[AuthorsSavingThrow in response]] to fans finding Season Two so unbelievably dark and bleak that they just [[TooBleakStoppedCaring stopped caring about the survivors]]. Season Three focuses on a more functional survivor group going up against antagonists that, while a serious threat, at least have some sympathetic qualities and [[TokenGoodTeammate good members of their group]]. |
| 194 | * The arcade racing game ''VideoGame/WanganMidnight R'' uses dark visuals with lots of grays, whites, and orange and a soundtrack that sounds like something out of a chase scene in an older film. ''Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune'' is, in comparison, substantially more colorful (both in scenery and interface), has any number of {{Joke C|haracter}}ars (A Corolla and a [=HiAce=] van in a racing game full of cars that have 280 stock horsepower?), and uses a surreal trance soundtrack. Gameplay-wise, the difficulty has been [[SequelDifficultyDrop skewed down]] from ''R''[='s=] nerfarious opponents and stringent time-limit, to ''WMMT 1 and 2''[='s=] more-lenient time limits and slightly-easier (but still hard) game modes, to easier opponents in ''3'' onwards. |
| 195 | * Platform/WiiWare game ''VideoGame/WaterWarfare'' is a lighter and softer version of the entire "FPS Deathmatch" genre. While it plays much the same as other multiplayer [[FirstPersonShooter FPSes]], with multiple weapons and areas, deathmatches, CaptureTheFlag games, and the like, it's entirely nonviolent--all the weapons are squirt guns and water balloons, and the worst that ever happens to anyone is that they get wet. |
| 196 | ** Before that there was ''Nerf Arena'' on the PC, which plays out like your average deathmatch FPS, but with harmless Nerf weapons. |
| 197 | * ''VideoGame/WolfensteinIITheNewColossus'' is a weird example, as it's BloodierAndGorier than ''[[VideoGame/WolfensteinTheNewOrder The New Order]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/WolfensteinTheOldBlood The Old Blood]]'' and shows much more horrific events in more detail, but it's also ''much'' more hopeful in how it depicts defying the Nazi world regime. B.J. has largely given up his AxCrazy and DeathSeeker tendencies, Anya is pregnant with his twins, the Resistance gains a... ''[[RagtagBunchOfMisfits diverse]]'' [[MultinationalTeam range of new allies]] in defiance of the Nazi party's ideology of racial hierarchy and supremacy, and [[spoiler:the game ends on a SequelHook where the Resistance take over Frau Engel's personal ship and kill her on live TV with no setbacks, kicking off a whole new American Revolution.]] |
| 198 | * The ''Xeno'' series. The original ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'' is probably the darkest game in the series, with ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}'' and ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'' being progressively lighter in tone. Both games are not lighthearted at all when they get serious, but they are in comparison to ''Xenogears''. |
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/context.php
FollowingContext LighterAndSofter / VideoGames
Go To
- Show Spoilers
- Night Vision
- Sticky Header
- Wide Load
